Perfection: Ozil was talked up by his manager on Friday (Image: Getty)

Share

Get Arsenal FC updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

Arsene Wenger believes Mesut Ozil is an “absolutely perfect” player.

Wenger insisted some of the criticism that the £42million record signing has endured has been “very harsh” as he launched a passionate defence of the German midfielder.

Ozil won the World Cup with Germany, lifted the FA Cup in his first season with Arsenal and yet his performances still divide opinion.

But Wenger insists that Ozil’s performances get better with a second viewing and he was of full of praise for his much-criticised performance against Besiktas in midweek.

Gunners boss Wenger said: “People are very harsh with Ozil because he’s a player who’s always very easy on his play but when you watch the game again after, the next day, you see what a player he is. Everything he does is intelligent.

“The timing of everything he does is absolutely perfect. You never catch him giving the ball too late. The number of players you catch giving the ball too late is unbelievable. You never get that with Ozil.

“The timing, he’s like a guy who plays the music, the timing of what he does is perfect, you don’t get many players like that.

“He is not getting enough praise. He came back as a World Cup winner. He played all seven games. He played some good games. He will never be a tackler.

“They have the same debate in Germany but at end of the day he was always in the team.”

German newspaper Bild even ran a campaign during the World Cup to get Ozil dropped so the former Real Madrid star has had to become immune to criticism. But there were ups and downs throughout last season when he struggled to adapt to English football.

Ozil almost collapsed on the pitch after the Besiktas game through tiredness but Wenger says he will be fit to start at Leicester on Sunday. Wenger also says he has yet to reach his peak fitness after an extended break after the World Cup.

“Ozil came back on the 11th August and he played second game by August 26th already so he will come back to his best after three or four weeks he will be at his best again,” said Wenger.

Staying put: Wenger said Podolski will not be allowed to leave (Image: Shaun Botterill)

But Wenger was a bit more reluctant to build up one of the club’s other World Cup winners as Lukas Podolski has yet to play since his return after an extended break.

Wenger has held up Podolski as one of the reasons why they do not need to sign a new striker after the injury to Olivier Giroud. But Wenger insisted the former Bayern Munich man cannot play through the middle – but also that he will not be allowed to leave before Monday’s deadline.

Wenger added: “He can score goals. He’s not a real centre forward, he’s a striker on the flank or behind the striker but he’s not the target man.

“He has a role to play but at the moment the experiences we had when he was a target man, he likes to come to the ball.

“He is not the guy who likes to go too much behind, he likes to come to the ball. He’s a very good link player. At the moment I see more Sanogo, Sanchez, players who are really good at going in behind. Not Podolski.”